John "Dick" Richard Brown

Dick is survived by Bonnie, his children Robert (Mary) Brown of Grovertown, IN, Dona Nickel of El Cajon, CA, and Charles (Susan) Brown of West Peoria. He was a devoted Bop-Bop to his grandchildren Sarah (Justin) Youvan, Saryn Nickel, Rebecca Brown, Kathleen Egan, Priscilla Brown, Kayce (Steven) Severin, Michael Brown and his 6 Great-Grand Children Mackenzie Youvan and Andrew Youvan, Kayleigh Brown, Evan Platt, Zachary Severin, and Jonah Severin who all survive him.

He was preceded in death by his infant brother, Robert Charles; his sister, Helen (George) Urda; and his daughter, Susan Egan.

Dick was born on a farm in Deerfield Township in Fulton County to Charles H. an Edith M. Brown (nee Howard) on April 22, 1925. He grew up in Pekin and attended Pekin Community High School, graduating in 1943. He lettered in Band and Chorus, as well as Varsity Baseball and Football. After graduating he enlisted in the Navy and attended the V5 pilot training program. Once the war in Europe ended, he dropped out of the pilot program and volunteered to join a B24 Liberator Crew as a side gunman, achieving the rank of AMM3. Dick saw action in the Pacific Theatre at Iwo Jima, Okinawa, as well as flying submarine hunting missions off the coast of Japan.

After the war, Dick joined the Caterpillar apprentice program and attended the Illinois Institute of Technology where he was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma. While at IIT, Dick not only graduated with his degree in Mechanical Engineering, but he also met the love of his life, Bonnie Rae Baker. They married January 5th, 1948.

Dick worked in the Service Engineering Department until 1986 when he retired. He was active in the Caterpillar Golf and Bowling leagues.

The son and grandson of carpenters, Dick loved working with wood, whether it was building dollhouses, toys, furniture, or home additions.

He and Bonnie enjoyed bridge with their friends, along with theatre, music, and travel. Oh, how they traveled! Together they visited every continent and well over 50 countries. They were active members of the Willow Knolls Country Club and University United Methodist Church where Dick led the Building and Grounds Committee. With all of that, Dick and Bonnie were very active in their family’s lives, rarely missing a game, recital, or other event, cameras in hand.

Dick’s Celebration of Life will be at 1:30 pm on Saturday, February 12, 2022, at University United Methodist Church in Peoria, officiated by Rev. Ethan Carnes. A visitation will precede the service at 12:30 pm in the downstairs Dining Hall. Military honors will be administered at 2:30 pm at the church. His family is in charge of service arrangements. Cremation arrangements have been entrusted to Davison-Fulton-Woolsey-Wilton Funeral Home in Peoria. Internment will be at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Greater Peoria Honor Flights at www.greaterpeoriahonorflight.org/donate or to Father Flannigan’s Boys Town at https://support.boystown.org/.

Online condolences may be left for Dick’s family at www.woolsey-wilton.com.